Are Bluetooth headphones harmful?

Emily Kreiss
Oct 27
4 min read

Short answer

Based on the best available evidence from major public-health bodies, Bluetooth headphones are not shown to cause cancer or other systemic disease at everyday exposure levels. The radio waves they use are non-ionizing and operate at much lower power than cell phones, and existing health limits already include large safety margins. The bigger proven risk with any headphones is hearing damage from listening too loudly or for too long.

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What “Bluetooth exposure” actually is

Bluetooth sends data using radio frequency electromagnetic fields in the 2.4 GHz band. That’s non-ionizing radiation, meaning it lacks the energy to damage DNA the way X-rays or UV can. Bluetooth radios are designed for very low power. Typical audio devices use Class 2 or LE radios around 1-2.5 milliwatts, while even the highest-power Bluetooth class tops out at 100 milliwatts. These levels are far below common mobile-phone transmit powers.

Health limits for radiofrequency exposure are set by independent expert groups like ICNIRP and are intended to prevent all established adverse effects, mainly excessive tissue heating. Consumer devices must meet these limits to be sold.

Cancer and long-term disease risk

Large reviews led by or cited by national and international health agencies continue to find no consistent evidence that everyday RF exposure from wireless devices causes brain tumors or other cancers in humans. Recent summaries from the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the FDA report that the weight of evidence does not show increased cancer risk at or below regulatory limits. A WHO-commissioned review similarly found no link between mobile phones and brain cancer incidence trends, and Bluetooth exposure is substantially lower than phones.

ICNIRP’s 2020 guideline update reviewed the literature through that time and maintained exposure limits for the public that already incorporate wide safety factors. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and mobile devices are all covered by these limits.

What is clearly risky: loud sound

Regardless of whether headphones are wired, wireless, or Bluetooth, loud playback can injure the inner ear. WHO’s safe-listening guidance and multiple systematic reviews estimate that a very large share of teens and young adults are exposed to unsafe listening levels from personal listening devices and loud venues. Keep in mind that safe listening time drops quickly as volume rises.

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Practical takeaways for hearing health

Aim for the lowest volume that still sounds clear, especially in quiet rooms.
Use noise-canceling or good-seal earbuds in noisy places so you are not tempted to crank the volume.
Follow the common “60-60” style habits many clinicians use: around 60 percent volume, no more than about an hour at a time before a break, then reassess.
Parents: use device-level volume limits where available.

Special situations: pacemakers and other implants

A separate issue from radio waves is magnet interference. Some earbuds and over-ear headphones have magnets that, if placed right over a cardiac implant, can trigger “magnet mode” and temporarily alter device function. The FDA and American Heart Association advise keeping electronics with strong magnets at least 6 inches from implanted cardiac devices. Normal use in the ears is generally well beyond that distance, but avoid draping earbuds or charging cases over your chest pocket if you have an implant. If you have questions, ask your cardiology team.

Bottom line

Current evidence indicates Bluetooth headphones are not harmful when used within regulatory limits. They emit low-power, non-ionizing RF and comply with conservative exposure guidelines.
The real, proven risk is hearing damage from loud sound, not the Bluetooth signal itself. Manage volume and listening time.
If you have an implanted cardiac device, keep magnet-containing electronics at least 6 inches from the implant site. Normal on-ear or in-ear use is typically fine.

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References

National Cancer Institute. Cell Phones and Cancer Risk (updated Apr 4, 2024).
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Do Cell Phones Pose a Health Hazard? (updated Jun 30, 2025).
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz), Health Phys. 118(5):483-524 (2020).
Bluetooth SIG. Core Specification v5.4: Physical Layer Specification. Maximum transmit power classes and ranges.
MathWorks Help. Comparison of Bluetooth BR/EDR and Bluetooth LE (tech reference summarizing Bluetooth power classes).
World Health Organization. Safe Listening Q&A (Mar 21, 2025).
Dillard LK, et al. Prevalence and global estimates of unsafe listening practices in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Global Health. 2022;7:e010501.
U.S. FDA. Magnets in Cell Phones and Smart Watches May Affect Pacemakers and Other Implanted Medical Devices (May 13, 2021).
WHO/EMF Project. Electromagnetic fields: Radiofrequency fields and monograph work in progress.
WHO-commissioned review coverage: Reuters. No link between mobile phones and brain cancer, WHO-led study says (Sep 3, 2024).